Container car



Dale. 9, 1952 I R. A. SHIELDS 2,620,748

CONTAINER CAR Filed March 5, 1950 A 2 SI-EETS-Sl-IEET 1 INVENTOR R. A. SHIELDS CONTAINER CAR -Dec. '9, 1952.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Filed March 5, 1950 xlllllllkH INVENTOR Patented Dec. 9, 1952 CONTAINER CAR Robert A. Shields, Bloomsburg, Pa., assignor to American Car and Foundry Company, New 1 York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 3, 1950, Serial No. 147,366

11 Claims.

This invention relates to container cars in general and in particular to railway cars adapted to carry closed containers, particularly of the air activated type.

Container cars have been built for the transport of air activated containers but such cars have been built with special sides and special brackets or fixtures mounted in the car and practically ruining the car for shipment of other objects than the containers for which it was specifically designed. To reclaim such a container car requires substantially complete rebuilding of the car and destruction of the special sides and fittings. These older types of container cars have accordingly been wasteful of construction material and have a relatively high first cost and high maintenance cost. In cases where the containers are used to transport cement the space between th containers and side walls becomes filled and caked with cement and eventually causes overloading of the car. Removal of this caked cement is extremely expensive and harmful to the car structure. It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a simplified container car built without side walls and without projecting surfaces behind which cement or other material may lodge and cake.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a container car having a substantially smooth upper surface with all exposed parts subject to the cleaning action of the air stream during movement of thecar.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a container car having removable curved abutments holding the containers in proper position on the car.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a container car having removable container abutments fastened thereto and so arranged that other containers ,or other objects can be readily transported on the car. 7

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of substantially half of a railway car having two cylindrical containers mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of substantially half the car and showing three containers mounted thereon;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the car, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail it will be seen that the car is of the railway type mounted at its ends on trucks 2 and adapted to be pulled by couplers 4 attached to similar couplers of adjacent cars. The car body is preferably constructed with fish belly center sills and side sills 6 and 8 respectively. It will b obvious, however, that the standard opposed Z-bar type of center sill can be used. The side sills and center sills are joined at their ends by end sills Ii) and inwardly of their ends by bolsters I2, which bolsters are located as is customary above the center bearing by means of which the car is supported on the trucks. Between the bolsters the side sills and center sills are connected by a plurality of cross-bearers [4 of proper depth and strength. The side sills, center sills, cross bearers, bolsters and end sills are preferably connected together by a floor plate 16, thus forming an underframe A with a substantially fiat and smooth upper surface.

Mounted on the flat surface of the underframe and preferably above alternate cross-bearers are a plurality of container retaining abutments B. Each of the container retaining abutments is formed by a pair of curved plates [8 welded or otherwise secured at their bottom edges to a bottom plate 20 t which is welded end plates 22, the vertical edges of which are welded or otherwise secured to the ends of the curved plates 18. In order to stiffen the curved plates against any possible distortion gusset plates 2d are welded or otherwise secured to the back surface of the curved plates and to the top surface of the bottom plate 20. Also, where the curved plates most closely approach each other they are joined to each other and to the bottom plate by means of a plate 26. As shown the curved plates l8 are tilted slightly toward each other to produce a slightly conical taper downward and have their upper edges deflected toward each other as at 28, thus providing a guiding or entering surface for the container later to be described. The upper edges of curved plates it are inclined downwardly from their outer edges to a low point adjacent their center or immediately above the plate 26. In order to prevent material lodging in this abutment a top cover plate 30 is welded or otherwise secured to the plates 22 and to the inturned edges 28 of the curved plates [8. This assembly may be completely fabricated and applied as units to the car upper surface by rivets or other means 32 extending through extended portions of the bottom plate 2!]. Immediately above the center sills small angle or other shaped clips 34 are riveted or otherwise attached for the purpose of cooperating with rotational stops it later to be referred to and carried on the container or other object being carried by the car. These clips or stops are preferably placed between a plane through the ends of the curved plates and the curved plates center so that rectangular containers, boxes or machinery may be readily carried on the car with the curved abutments serving as block elements for th objects being transported. With the top surface shaped as clearly shown in Fig. 4 pipe or other long objects can be carried when the containers C are not in position and without the necessity of blocking other than binders to hold the material in place on the upper surface 39. At the ends of the car abutments are provided substantially identical to the center abutments but only halves. In this case the edges of plates 22, 2K5, 393 and 28 are joined together by an end wall 36 and the entire structure is preferably braced against longitudinal shifting by an angle or other means 38 fastened to the end sill of the car.

The closed container C, particularly adapted for transport on this car, is formed with a cylindrical upper end 46) joined to a cylindrical side wall 42 which is closed at its bottom and the entire container supported on a skirt, the lower edge of which is stiffened and given greater bearing area by means of an angle 45. l/Velded or otherwise secured to the inturned leg of the angle are a plurality of triangular shaped plates :13 spaced apart sufficiently to accommodate therebetween the clips or stops 34 carried by the underframe. The containers are adapted to be lifted on nd off the car by means of bales d and will be discharged by means of air entering through pipes 52 and blowing the cement or other material out of the container through discharge pipe Ed. Control of the flow of air to the necessary nozzles will be had by means of handle 56 controlling a valve suitably positioned in the piping. Material will be placed in the container by means of an opening 58 which is of the type permitting the container to retain pressure. The interengagement of plates 48 and stops 3% will insure the proper placement of the discharge pipes 54.

When the containers are lowered toward their proper position their proper location is aided by means of the inclined guide surfaces 28 helping to center the container. Also, due to the slight tilting of the curved surfaces !8, the bottom edges of the containers will be effectively inclosed between the curved abutments and both longitudinal and transverse movements prevented. The upper outer corners of the abutments in eifect grip the containers at four widely spaced points and at a considerable distance above the car floor. As clearly shown in the figures, the spaced points are located substantially level with the center of gravity of the container and any lateral, longitudinal, or diagonal movements are resisted effectively by these high outer corners of the abutments. The smooth upper surface of the car and the closing of the space between the containers by the end plates 22 of the abutments will insure that any material, such as cement, will be blown clear of the car by the air blast occasioned during travel of the car. The welding or securing of the curved plates to the base plate, with the centers of the curved plates remote, will produce a structure biconcave in plan as clearly shown by the figures with the end abutments being plano-concave in plan. Also, due to the cutting off of the upper edges of the curved plates and attachment of the top plate 30, the abutments of themselves will have an upwardly open V appearance in side elevation. lhis upwardly open V form is, of course, not absolutely necessary but saves on material, gives highgripping corners for the container, and provides good supporting surfaces for long tubular articles when the containers are not on the car.

While the invention has been described more or less in detail with particular reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that various modifications other than those shown and described may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A car for transporting containers comprising, center sills, side sills, bolsters and crossbearers connecting said sills, substantially flat plate forming a floor supported by said sills and bolsters, and a plurality of spaced apart container retaining butments extending upwardly above the floor, said abutments being of biconcave form in plan with the narrow portion located above the center sills and the ends spaced inwardly from the sides of the underirame and at a substantial distance above the car floor.

2. A car for transporting containers comprising, center sills, side sills, bolsters and crossbearers connecting said sills, a substantially flat plate forming a floor supported by said sills and bolsters, and a. plurality of spaced apart container retaining abutments extending upwardly above the floor, said abutments being of biconcave form in plan and of V form in end elevation with the point of the V located substantially above the center sills and the ends spaced inwardly from the sides of the underframe.

3. A car for transporting containers comprising an underframe with a, substantially flat upper surface, and a plurality of spaced apart container retaining abutments extending transversely of the underframe and extending upwardly therefrom, the abutments intermediate the ends of the underframe being biconcave in plan and those at the ends of the underframe being piano-concave in plan and the outer ends of said abutments being higher than the central portions thereof.

4. A car for transporting cylindrical containers in a spaced apart upright position with their vertical axes adjacent the longitudinal center of the car and comprising, an underframe with a substantially flat upper surface to support the containers, and a plurality of abutments biconcave in plan secured to the underframe and substantially filling the space between the lower portions of the containers and having their ends extending upwardly substantially to the level through the center of gravity of the containers.

5. A car for transporting cylindrical containers in a spaced apart upright position with their vertical axes adjacent the longitudinal center of the car and comprising, an underframe with a substantially flat upper surface to support the containers, a plurality of abutments biconcave in plan secured to the underframe and substantially filling the space between the lower portions of the containers, and abutments planoconcave in plan secured to the ends of the car and embracing the lower outermost portions of the end containers, said abutments being so constructed and arranged as to by themselves revent longitudinal and transverse shifting or tilting of the containers.

6. A car for transporting cylindrical containers in a spaced apart upright position with their vertical axes adjacent the longitudinal center of the car and comprising, an underframe with a substantially flat upper surface to support the containers, and a plurality of abutments biconcave in plan secured to the underframe and substantially filling the space between the lower portions of the containers, said abutments including upright end plates spaced inwardly of the sides of the underframe and of the outermost portions of the containers.

'7. A car for transporting cylindrical containers in a, spaced apart upright position with their vertical axes adjacent the longitudinal center of the car and comprising, an underframe with a substantially flat upper surface to support the containers, and a plurality of abutments biconcave in plan secured to the underframe and substantially filling the space between the lower portions of the containers, said abutments having the concave sides thereof tapering upwardly and away from their centers to form segments of a downwardly directed cone to guide the containers into position between the abutments.

8. As an article of manufacture, an abutment to retain cylindrical containers in an upright position against horizontal shifting or tilting and comprising, a base plate, a pair of cylindrically curved plates extending upwardly from the base plate and secured thereto with the centers of curvature remote from each other, and means secured to said curved plates and base plate to retain the curved plates in substantially upright position.

9. As an article of manufacture, an abutment to retain cylindrical containers in an upright position against horizontal shifting or tilting and comprising, a base plate, a pair of cylindrically curved plates extending upwardly from the base plate and secured thereto with the centers of curvature remote from each other, end plates joining the ends of said curved plates and base together, and top plates joining said curved 6 plates and end plates together to form a hollow structure biconcave in plan.

10. As an article of manufacture, an abutment to retain cylindrical containers in an upright position against horizontal shifting or tilting and comprising, a base plate, a pair of cylindrically curved plates extending upwardly from the base plate and secured thereto with the centers of curvature remote from each other, end plates joining the ends of said curved plates and base together, and top plates joining said curved plates and end plates together to form a hollow structure biconcave in plan, the upper edges of said curved plates sloping downwardly and inwardly toward the center whereby the top plates form an upwardly directed V in side elevation.

11. As an article of manufacture, an abutment to retain cylindrical containers in an upright position against horizontal shifting or tilting and comprising, a base plate, a, pair of cylindrically curved plates extending upwardly from the base plate and secured thereto with the centers of curvature remote from each other, end plates joining the ends of said curved plates and base together, and top plates joining said curved plates and end plates together to form a hollow structure biconcave in plan, said curved plates being tilted slightly toward each other throughout their height and having the top edges sharply inclined toward each other whereby the abutment is stiffened and guide surfaces are provided for the containers.

ROBERT A. SHIELDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,486,046 Smith Mar. 4, 1924 1,488,685 Kassler et al Apr. 1, 1924 1,754,450 Willoughby Apr. 15, 1930 

